Railroad-crossing signal.



PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

W. P. HOPKINS. RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL, APPLICATION rum) mw. 27,1906.

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WILLIAM F. HOPKINS, OF MILTON, WASHINGTON.

RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed December 27,1906. Serial No. 349,634:-

To all whom 'it may concern: l

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Milton, in the county of Pierce and State ofWashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailroad-Crossing Signals, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the ac companying drawing.

This invention relates to sound signals placed at road crossings of arailroad and operated by an approaching train, and has for its object tocause each wheel of the train, as it passes the apparatus, to force ablast from a horn or whistle located at the distant crossing towardwhich the train is moving. I accomplish this object by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 represents aside view of the apparatus and crossing signal, and Fig. 2 represents anend View thereof.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

At the road crossing is erected the usual crossing sign-post 1, to whichis secured a whistle 2, or other pneumatic soundinstrument, connected bypipes 3 running down the post 1 and on or in the ground to thecompression end of the air pump of the operating apparatus located ateach side of the post 1 at any desired distance therefrom. The operatingapparatus consists of a vertical lever 4 placed adjacent to the rail 5so as to be pushed in either direction by the wheels 6 of the trains asthey pass; a torsional rod 7 secured to the vertical lever 4 andextending therefrom in suitable bearings at right angles to the track asufficient distance so that the air pump 8 is removed from proximitythereto; a horizontal lever 9 secured to the torsional rod 7 andengaging the slot between the legs 10 of the air pump 8 and being pulledupward by a spring 11 secured thereto and to said legs 10; an air pump 8having a piston therein adapted to compress air in the inner part of thepump on the upward'stroke thereof, said piston having a rod 12 with aroller 13 at its end engaging the upper surface of the horizontal le ver9, all said parts being drawn downwards by the spring 14 secured to thelegs 10 and to the pin 15 on which the roller 13 is mounted, the saidpin 15 traveling in a slot 16 in the sides of the legs 10, said slotonly extending down to the point where the pin is at the bottom of itsstroke, so that if the lever 9 is moved below its normal position itsimply leaves the roller 13 suspended over it. Thus the apparatus isarranged so that the air pump is operated by wheels passing toward thecrossing, but is not operated by wheels passing away therefrom. Thelever 4 is provided with a roller 17 so that it will more readily bepushed by the car wheels instead of crushed thereby. The pipes 3 fromeach of the apparatus on the sides of the crossing extend separately upthe post 1 and are not joined until the whistle 2 is almost reached, andsaid joint is made with a Y-joint so that the air pressure from one pipe3 will not simply pass to the other pipe and apparatus, but willpreferably pass to the whistle 2 and so that said whistle will beoperated equal well from either one of the pipes 3.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to a crossing and as having apermanent location, but it is evident that a special portable form maybe made which would have special use in warning section gangs or otherworkmen of the approach of a train, or a slightly different form couldbe made which would be used as a warning in a switch tower of theapproach of a train in which case different tracks could be connected soas to sound different toned whistles. The device can also be used tosound warning at a bridge when a train is approaching it.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a railroad crossing signal, the combination of a normally verticallever adapted to be actuated in either direction by the wheels of apassing train, a normally horizontal lever secured to but distant fromsaid first lever, a lixcd air cylinder, a piston therein with a pistonrod projecting therefrom and adapted to be engaged and operated by saidsecond lever when it is moved to one side of its normal position butdisengaged therefrom when it is moved to the other side thereof, apneumatic sound emitting instrument at the crossing, and a pipe joiningsaid air cylinder to said instrument whereby said instrument is causedto sound when said piston is moved in said cylinder.

In a railroad crossing signal, the combination of two air pumps, one ateach side of the crossing and each adapted to be actuated only by atrain passing thereover toward the crossing but not being actuated by atrain passing thcrcover from the crossing, a pipe joining said airpumps, and a pneumatic sound emitting instrument at the crossing betweenthe pumps and connected to said pipe and operated by the pressuretherein caused only by an approaching train.

3. In a railroad crossing signal, the combination of two air pumps oneat each side of the crossing and each adapted to be actuated by a trainpassing in the direction of the other, a pipe joining said air pumps andhaving a parallel sided bend therein at the crossing between the pumps,a pneumatic sound emitting instrument supported beyond the end of saidbend, and a Y-connection joining said instrument with both sides of saidbend.

4. In an air compressor, the combination of a fixed cyladapted to beactuated by passing bodies and to actuate 10 V inder, a reciprocatingair compressing piston therein and having a piston rod extendingtherefrom, a spring engaging said reciprocating parts and adapted topull said piston toward one end of said cylinder, a lever engaging andactuating said piston rod against the action of said spring, when it ismoved in one direction, but disengaged therefrom When moved in the otherdirection, and a lever secured to but distant from said first lever andsaid piston only when the passing body is moving in one direction.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.WILLIAM F. HOPKINS. Witnesses:

M. H. COREY, P. F. AMES.

